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Being ‘That Token Gay Guy’ : Experiencing Minority Stress in Swedish Workplaces

Malmquist, Anna ; Wurm, Matilda ; Ek, Therese ; Lönnroth, Rosaline and Lundberg, Tove LU orcid (2025) In Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
Abstract
Employers in Sweden are mandated to take active measures to prevent discrimination against sexual minorities. While it is important that relevant measures are taken, knowledge is lacking about cisgender lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people’s minority stress experiences at Swedish workplaces. The present work is based on a thematic analysis of interviews with 53 cisgender LGB participants, focusing on how they experienced and dealt with minority stress experiences at work. Results are drawing on the minority stress model and illustrate experiences of distal minority stress due to a heteronormative work climate. This distal stress led to proximal stressors, such as constantly being on guard. Participants took considerable responsibility... (More)
Employers in Sweden are mandated to take active measures to prevent discrimination against sexual minorities. While it is important that relevant measures are taken, knowledge is lacking about cisgender lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people’s minority stress experiences at Swedish workplaces. The present work is based on a thematic analysis of interviews with 53 cisgender LGB participants, focusing on how they experienced and dealt with minority stress experiences at work. Results are drawing on the minority stress model and illustrate experiences of distal minority stress due to a heteronormative work climate. This distal stress led to proximal stressors, such as constantly being on guard. Participants took considerable responsibility for others’ feelings, felt a responsibility to educate on LGBTQ issues, and sometimes engaged in formal policy work to improve workplace conditions. The study points at the importance of shifting the burden of workplace minority stress from individual LGB people to employers. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
LGB, minority stress, microaggressions, sexual minorities, workplace
in
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
pages
21 pages
publisher
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
ISSN
2245-0157
project
Minoritetsstress på jobbet: Arbetsplatsen som lindrande eller hindrande för hbtqi-personers psykiska hälsa och välmående
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
176079a6-a40c-41de-bc1e-ff755fcf0b25
alternative location
http://10.18291/njwls.163344
date added to LUP
2026-01-13 10:35:57
date last changed
2026-01-14 14:35:35
@article{176079a6-a40c-41de-bc1e-ff755fcf0b25,
  abstract     = {{Employers in Sweden are mandated to take active measures to prevent discrimination against sexual minorities. While it is important that relevant measures are taken, knowledge is lacking about cisgender lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people’s minority stress experiences at Swedish workplaces. The present work is based on a thematic analysis of interviews with 53 cisgender LGB participants, focusing on how they experienced and dealt with minority stress experiences at work. Results are drawing on the minority stress model and illustrate experiences of distal minority stress due to a heteronormative work climate. This distal stress led to proximal stressors, such as constantly being on guard. Participants took considerable responsibility for others’ feelings, felt a responsibility to educate on LGBTQ issues, and sometimes engaged in formal policy work to improve workplace conditions. The study points at the importance of shifting the burden of workplace minority stress from individual LGB people to employers.}},
  author       = {{Malmquist, Anna and Wurm, Matilda and Ek, Therese and Lönnroth, Rosaline and Lundberg, Tove}},
  issn         = {{2245-0157}},
  keywords     = {{LGB; minority stress; microaggressions; sexual minorities; workplace}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies}},
  series       = {{Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies}},
  title        = {{Being ‘That Token Gay Guy’ : Experiencing Minority Stress in Swedish Workplaces}},
  url          = {{http://10.18291/njwls.163344}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}